Beyond Death's Gifts
by phoenixstitch
Summary: Alternate "Gift" Complete!
1. Default Chapter

Untitled Document Beyond Death's Gifts  
by Phoenixstitch 5/22/2001 

This was written immediately after "The Gift" and Angel, with no VCR to help out—just memory and impressions of what I saw, and felt of the 5th season ender knowing that Buffy is somehow going to coming back for 6th season, and maybe how. This is not a happy fic, and may be a bit on the painful side. I write real life, and tend to get gritty too with language, and situations. All the usual disclaimers to Josh Wheldon, Mutant Enemy, and all other PTB etc.. Rating—if you can watch the show you can read this. If you want to archive this somewhere, just let me know. Comments, gripes, or whatever--Vickey/phoenixstitch vbmacky1@yahoo.com. My Buffy site: In The Heart of Darkness--http://fangslover.fanspace.com/   
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Part 1

Dawn's blood had quit flowing before Buffy had left her sister's side to turn, and run across the metal platform where the portal gaped open spewing out monsters, and letting the fabric of her world's reality mutate and distort. It had only taken a few drops of Dawn's blood to activate it, and call it into existence thanks to the being called Doc', who had slipped past them all to do the ceremonial cutting since Glory, herself was out of it between Buffy beating her, and Giles murdering her mortal vessel, Ben. All their planning had failed. Their reality, their universe, and that of untold numbers of other dimensions also hung in the balance. It was up to her again to be the hero, the unknown savior for all. Just her. Just a girl. Always her alone.in the end. 

Dawn tried to stop her, but Buffy had made up her mind. The portal had to be closed, and it had to be by living blood—their living blood. Summer's blood. If Dawn was the Key, then she was the Lock. It couldn't be more simple than that. It had all been there before them. The monks had told them true. She knew what she had to do.

Having said her goodbyes to her sister, Buffy steeled herself, and ran into the light feeling the wild energies of the dimensional vortex course, and sear through her. Behind her she felt the ugliness, and monsters that had escaped begin to be pulled back to their source, and return to this dimension where they belonged before the portal itself shrank down, and collapsed upon itself sealing it from her world. They were all safe now. Dawn, Giles, Willow, Xander, Anya, Tara, and even Spike. There was a twinge of regret that she would not be dying by his hands, or in his arms. That was the way she had always thought it should have been for them. She had not expected to meet her final dead alone. She had chickened out on telling him how she did really feel about him—now she could never tell him the truth—that she did love him too after all. She really should have kissed him goodbye.

But knowing that the portal was closed, and all that she cared about were safe made her happy with relief. She had done it. She had saved them all. Her death had been her gift after all. It counted if it had saved their lives, and the lives of untold numbers of beings in all the universes. She had done good. Now she could finally rest.

But where was here? And why was she still aware? When you died, really died didn't you sort of cease to be? Cease thinking, worrying, or caring about those you left behind? At least that's what she had been taught to believe. Wasn't there something about seeing your loved ones on the other side too? "Okay Mom, where are you? Aren't you like supposed to be here to greet me?" Buffy said out loud into the bright swirly mist that surrounded her. 

She wanted her mom. She wanted to be safe in her Mommy's arm again. She deserved it now. She had saved the world—again. Hadn't she done good? Hadn't she done what she was supposed to? Where was her rest, her reward, her final peace? Come on give. She begged the silent void around her, her hazel eyes seeing nothingfeeling no other being, or presence besides herself. Sadly she realized this wasn't what she had been promisedso there was no real hope, no promise of company, no heaven, no angels, it was still just her alonealways alone. She had saved the world for this?

Silence answered her. There wasn't even mocking laughter to reassure her she wasn't alone. The only sounds were of the crackling of the energies around her, and whooshing of winds whipping the golden, and rainbow tinged mists around her. She felt her body, and she was surprised to find she still had it, and it had a heartbeat, and she still felt very much alive. She was dead wasn't she? How could she still be alive? This wasn't making any sense at all. 

She was still falling too like she was diving through water rather than through this strange air. Without warning the ground came up to meet her—hard, and she was knocked unconscious, knowing no more.  
  
************************************

Giles and the others started towards Buffy's body atop the broken masonry, but with legs that could barely support him Spike was there before him pushing the older man roughly out of his way. He shot him a deadly warning look, and growled at the man to back off. Giles did, finally understanding how deeply the blond vampire had really cared for his mortal enemy. That it had been true love, and not some sick fixation after all. The vampire gathered Buffy's lifeless body into his arms, burying his blood streaked face into her hair, his tears falling on her face, mixing with the dirt, and the blood. Red rain, red rain, it was all just pain'.the red rain that was taking her away from him'the half remembered words of a song screaming mockingly through his grief torn mind. 

He howled his anguish to the uncaring heavens, the sound echoing ringingly across the expanse of the warehouseit was animalisticit was primalit was the cry of a lost souless being in torment worse than he had ever known sending chills down the spines of those listeninghis throat was raw with the pain, not caring how he sounded, or looked, or how frightened he was making the others. He already knew it was too late, and nothing could be done. His love, his slayer, his golden, beautiful girl, his matehis world was gone.How could she be gone? 

This wasn't the way it was supposed to benot for hernot for themthe dance, luv, our danceit isn't finishedwe didn't finish our danceI promised youthe dance.that was the way it was supposed to be.you, me togethermy teeth on your golden neckyour warm sweet blood flowing through from you to meyes, that was the way it was supposed to be. 

He had to hold her one last time, and the memory would have to last for how forever long he remained in this world, and mercifully that time would be very brief indeed, he promised himself feeling the impending approach of the new sun. A stray sunbeam shooting down from the roof, not that far away from where he sat. It would be so easyso quickno one would really care enough to stop him. This was a new day that didn't have her in it, nor would it have him for very long. He could have that final peace, that final gasp at last for both of themfor there was no reason for him to go onnone at all nowit was done.

He drew back to look down at her face, the warm hazel eyes closed with dark silken lashes, the eyebrows untroubled, the forehead unfurrowed in anger, or deep in thought, all blushes were gone from her cheeks, the generous mouth he had wanted to lose himself in seemed to be curved in a slight smile of happiness, or realization of a final contentmentall her features radiated peace, he thought. Peace at last from all the pain, and heartbreak in her all too brief life. His pale thin fingers tenderly brushed back a few golden strands of hair from that face he had grown to love. Even feeling just the empty shell he held, he who walked a thin line between life and death himself could not accept that this was really it. The endgame had finally come at last. 

He spoke to her like he was speaking to a child, knowing she was far beyond hearing him now, but these were the last words he had to say. He had to get this out. "No..ooo, there had to have been another way, luv. I can't bloody well lose you now. We need youwe all need youI need you. God, Buffy, I need you so muchthere was so much I wanted to tell you, show youall I wanted to do was love you even if you never loved me back—I still loved youI will always love you. You were my soul, and without you nothing matters," he wailed, not caring who saw him cry as he rocked back, and forth with her lifeless body held tightly in his arms. There was no chance of resurrection from this. That even if he didn't have the chip, the spark of life was gone-- he couldn't bring her back from this true death. She was gone from all of them—forever.

No one dared pry the vampire lose from her, but he and Dawn were going to have to get out of there soon. Spike may have though he didn't have any more to do with this world, but the others weren't so willing to let him go. He was still needed. He was still important to them all, and especially to the young dark haired girl left behind in place of her sister. The Powers That Be were far from finished with this broken shell of a vampire. Buffy had given him a job, and he was the only one that could do it. Somehow they had to bring him back to reality and get him to do what needed to be done. The cops in Sunnydale may not have been too bright, or quick witted, but a dimensional portal, monsters, and strange activity at a construction site at night was bound to draw them to this place sooner, or later.

It was Willow that approached the grieving vampire, her own tears flowing unchecked down her dirty cheeks. "Spike, you have to go. We have to get you out of here. Dawn needs you now. You have to look after Dawnthat's what Buffy would want you to do," she told him gently, kneeling down next to him, and placing her small hand on his shoulder.

"Dawn?" he asked blankly, coming slowly aware of what Willow was saying.

"Yes, Dawn. She's alive. She needs youyou promised Buffy," Willow told him, her eyes holding him, willing him to listen to her, hear her words, and understand the danger they still had to deal with.

"PromisedI promised, Buffybut Buffyshe's dead. It wasn't supposed to be this way. She's the Slayermy slayerBuffy's dead, and I can't bring her backI failed her," he said, sobbing harder again, looking away from her, unwilling to meet the red headed witches' eyes.

In the distance they could hear sirens and the approach of police and emergency vehicles. Willow tried again more forcibly. "Spike, you and Dawn have to get out of here—now!' she told him.

"But you,everyone else, Buffy—you're not going to just leave her?" he asked, shaking his head and meeting her eyes puzzled and confused still.

"No, we have to stay, explain. We have to let Buffy's death be reported, and let the authorities deal with her now."

"Like Joyce? Like Buffy's Mum? No, that's not rightI could take herput her where she'd be safe---please Will?" he asked, begging her with his pain filled eyes, his voice cracking with emotion tearing at all their hearts.

Willow shook her head. "No, Spike, you can't. You have to let her go, and get Dawn out of her before they come," she explained again.

Dawn had come over to Willow's side, and stood looking down at Spike holding her dead sister. It was all too unreal. It was all too much like her mother again—except this time it was Buffy. It was Buffy dead because of her. She had seen her sister jump into the portal, and the gateway close behind her to disappear as if it had never been. But how had Buffy's body gotten here on the ground if she had gone into the portal. She never saw her body fall. Something just wasn't making sense.

Giles had come over to, and was getting more, and more worried as the police drew closer. They had to get the teenager, and the vampire out of there. There could be no reasonable explanations for either of them being there. There was going to be enough hell to pay as it was. Dawn did not need to be drug off to foster care, or a juvenile facility on top of everything that she had just been through. At least not this night. Time enough to deal with authorities after the girl had a chance to rest, or they remembered she existed.

"Spike, if you don't want Dawn ending up in foster care, or worse—let loose of Buffy, and get the hell out of here now. Do what Buffy asked you to do—protect Dawn," Giles told the vampire harshly, who glared back at him. At least the Watcher saw that his words were finally getting through to the overwrought vampire.

"Foster care? Over my bleedin' broken body. No one's taking her away," Spike told Giles, his eyes hard, and serious now. "Here, take her, and see that they treat her right," he told the man. Spike kissed Buffy's cold forehead in goodbye, then he handed over Buffy's body to Giles, a bit reluctantly before he pushed himself up from the ground to stand up on shaky legs. He then wiped his wet face off with the back of his hand, streaking the dirt on his face further, but he was beyond caring how he looked. 

He was numb, yet in searing pain at the same time inside. He had never felt this way in any of his long unlife. Not even when he was human had he had this much pain. Even when his father had died when he was Dawn's age. He may not have a bloody soul, but what had stood for his was now gone, and only emptiness was there, worse than any he had known in his unlife. Only an awareness of duty, a promise made, and a sense of responsibility to his lost love was making him go on, and do what the watcher, and the witch were asking of him. Even with Glory gone, the girl still had to be protected, and care for. That job was now his. He wasn't going to fail again. 

Composing himself enough to function, and do what he needed to do, Spike turned to see Dawn watching him, rather than Giles. She was keeping her eyes adverted from her sister's body that Giles was covering with an bright orange tarp. Xander had gone to sit on the steps with Anya still in his arms. He too was avoiding looking in Buffy's direction. Willow had gone to Tara, and they were sitting on a crate holding on another.

Dawn lifted her long skirt to pick her way carefully across the debris covered floor. Spike looked down to see that she was barefooted. Her feet were stained with dried blood, a reminder of his failure to stop Doc, and were covered in dirt now. "You got shoes?" he asked her, knowing he couldn't carry her all the way home in his weakened condition.

"Back there where they made me change," she replied, pointing back towards the inner rooms.

"Is there a way out from back there?" he asked, the sirens finally registering..

"I think so," Dawn replied, hearing them too, and getting frightened.

"Come on then, before the coppers get here, and muck things up," he told the girl. "I'll take her home. It should be safe. If it's not we'll be at my place," he told Willow, and Giles and saw them both nod in agreement with his plans. Over in the corner he saw Xander holding Anya, "is she going to be okay?" Spike asked Xander.

"I hope so, she's still breathing. I think she's just knocked out," Xander replied, surprised that Spike had noticed that Anya was hurt.

"I hope so too. Can't lose her too. Let me know what happens," he said sincerely, again surprising Xander that Spike would actual give a damn.

"I will or somebody will. Just get Dawn out of here," Xander encouraged, fearful that the two would get caught before they could make it to safety.

"Yeah, we got to get," Spike said his eyes narrowing as he saw the first cop appear in the far doorway. He grabbed Dawn's arms, and they ran back to the inner rooms before they could get spotted. Meanwhile the gang spread out across the room blocking the police's view so Dawn and Spike could continue their escape.

In the back office Dawn found her clothes, and shoes where she had left them. She started to sit down and put her tennis shoes on, but Spike grabbed her arm. And hissed, "later. They're closing in, surrounding this place. Just grab you stuff, and you can put your shoes on once we get clear," he told her then released her arm not before she noticed how much her friend was trembling.

Dawn nodded in understanding, and wrapped all of it up in a tight bundle using her jacket. Going back to the door Spike looked out, and saw that the coast was momentarily clear. He grabbed up a tarp for himself against the rising sun, and threw it over his head and shoulders before picking her up in his arms. Then he sprinted to safety out the opened back door, and into the alley. Dawn knowing how difficult this was, held onto the edges of the makeshift blanket, making sure the tarp stayed over him, being his eyes in this bright new day. Keeping to the shadows, and to the still dark alleyways they managed to get four blocks before he stopped, and set her down on top of a wooden crate, and he retreated to the deeper shadows. 

He bent almost double trying to catch his breath which he oddly needed. It puzzled him that he was so out of shape, and weak. Carrying the kid should not have been difficult at all for him. But a lot of really odd weaknesses on his part were beginning to pile up, and bother him since his torture by Glory. When he was recovered enough to speak he told Dawn, his voice wheezing a little, "okay, I think it's safe enough. You can put on your shoes now," he added before leaning back against the weathered brick wall of a building, and digging out a smoke from his pockets.

"Thanks. Are you going to be okay?" she asked after his little display, frowning that he was going to smoke on top of everything.

"Fine, no need to worry about me. Just tired, very tired," he said, wearily, lighting his cigarette with his lighter, the flash of light showing the truth of his statement.

She wasn't buying it, but she wasn't dumb to argue with him either. "Why didn't they all leave? They could have you know?" she asked him as she undid her bundle to get her shoes.

"I dunno, kid. I guess it must come under the heading of being responsible, and all. I wish they had let me take her," he said, his eyes unfocused, as he fought to hold back his pain, and tears again. 

In his head he was still back there at the warehouse looking into Buffy's dead face, and the feeling of her cold lifeless body in his arms, and wishing it had all been so much different. All these times he had wished her dead, and told her that to her face to hide his real feelings, he had never really meant it—not ever since they began fighting. He had never wanted her dead, not even by his own hands. How could he go on now in world that no longer had her in it. How could he exist without her? She was his world—he hadn't even known how much that was true until now. He wanted to howl at the moon, scream his pain to the heavens, but he couldn't not yet, not until he got her little sis to safety—then he could let go of it all. 

Let the others, the ones that mattered like the Watcher, and lover Wicca's or even the whelp and his girl take care of the child. He was a vampire for christsake, it wasn't his bloody job. It was theirs. He wasn't human, so how could he take care of this now very human girl? It just wasn't going to bloody work. He shouldn't have made that bloody promise to her—to them. Was he stuck with it? And he had to answer yes,-- he was. For better, or worse a promise was a promise, and especially to Buffy.

Dawn looked back at him worriedly, knowing he was in far worse shape than she was. But he was all she had, and she needed him now more than ever. He could breakdown later. "Spike, you got to keep it together. We got to get home. We can't stay out here. What if any of Glory's minions are still lurking about?" she asked, putting on her tennis shoes, and tying the up the laces.

He remembered the fight, and few of her people running away. "Yeah, they didn't all get killed. You're right Little bit," he said taking another drag off his cigarette.

She thought of saying something smart back that she wasn't all that little, but she didn't. Her friend was in too much pain to deal. She didn't even know how bad he had gotten hurt in the fight, but here in this dark alley was not the place to check over their injuries. The cuts on her stomach, and feet still stung. At least the bleeding had stopped, but walking was going to be difficult. Her socks were sticking to the blood. Already she could feel the fabric of the shoes digging in, and rubbing against the cuts. She pulled her dirty T-shirt over her head to cover the torn spots on her dress, then slipped her jacket on against chilly morning air. Her pants, she was just going to roll up, and carry rather than just dumping them. "We can go now," she announced. "Are we very far from the house?' she asked having very little idea where they were.

Spike snapped back to awareness with her question, and focused on her, and their situation. A situation he had never ever thought he'd find himself in of taking care of the slayer's now very human, and very alone little sister. He had made a promise to both their Mum, and to Buffy, and he would see this through no matter what the cost to him. Right now he had to get her home safely. Considering the active demonlife of Sunnydale, it was not as easy as it sounded. It was just sunrise and the demons and vampires were hopefully in for the day, but not all species were allergic to sunlight. "Not too far, ten blocks or so I think. We'll keep to the back ways in case they are looking for us. Hopefully, no one will know we were there."

"Yeah, I hope so too. The school was threatening Buffy already about taking me away because I was cutting school, and messing up after Mom died. I don't want to go away. This is my home. You, and the guys, you're my family. I'm scared, Spike, really scared now," she said, trying to hold back her tears.

"I won't let anyone get you, take you away. We'll find a way to keep you safe. We'll figure all this out, I promise," he told her going over to where she stood, and letting himself wrap his arms around her to hold her while she cried into his not that clean T-shirt. "But we got to get going. We got a ways to go, and the sun is already up," he warned her, knowing they had an hour, or maybe less of walking to get to her house or the cemetery which ever they decided to go to first.

"Okay," she said, reining in her tears, and swiping her wet eyes off on the shelve of her coat. The coat was toast as were all her clothes, so what did it matterreally what did really matter now? Her life was nothing, but a big blank nothing filled with fear, and uncertainty about the future. Her destiny such as it was now lay twinned together in the hands of this vampire, and they both knew it.

Taking her hand, the vampire making sure his bright orange tarp was secure over his body, and the oddly dressed teenager walked down the alley trying to get to safety before either the hunters, or the sun got them first.

End Part 1  



	2. Part 2

Untitled Document

Beyond Death's Gifts  
by Phoenixstitch 5/22/2001 

All disclaimers, etc. in Part 1. My take on what happened next after "The Gift." Comments to Vickey/phoenixstitch at vbmacky1@yahoo.com

Part 2

With great relief Giles and Willow watched Spike and Dawn leave through the back before the first cop came into the main work area. Xander sat with Anya, who was beginning to wake up, cradled in his arms on the stairs that lead upward towards the roof, and the ritual platform. There were about a dozen uniforms, and plainclothes men, plus emergency medical personnel in the group that cautiously approached the Scoobies. Giles had dealt with several of the detectives before, and so had Buffy. The police, the Slayer and the Watcher had worked out an uneasy truce, and means of dealing with the weirdness of the Hellmouth after the Graduation Day mess. That had been a bit more public than previous end of the world events, so explanations had had to be forthcoming. Since then the police had even called him to get Buffy to eliminate problem demons, and phenomena that they couldn't handle. This mess was not going to be as easy to explain, or get out since one of the victims was the Slayer herself, and there had been actual murder done.

Unlike most demons, Glory's crusty minions were leaving intact, dead bodies. There were also dead humans among them, and a few unidentifiable types too. This had been a blood bath with plenty of blood splattered over the walls, floors and other surfaces, including the Scoobies own clothes. There was also the matter of weapons too, like swords, knives, crossbows, battle axes, and the Troll hammer.

The lead detective, a portly, balding man close to Giles' age, took the entire scene in with raised eyebrows, noticing everything, shaking his head, and then frowning in disgust when he saw the waiting survivors. "You again? Mr. Giles, is it?" inquired Detective Kent, as he walked over the very tired Watcher who was sitting on a crate.

Giles nodded, wanting to answer all the man's in interminable questions so he could just go home, and begin the weary job of making funeral arrangements for Buffy.

"And Miss Rosenburg, and Mr. Harris, we met again. But I don't recognize this young lady," pointing to Tara holding hands with Willow looking scared as they sat on the floor. 

"Tara, ..sir," she said meekly with a noticeable tremble in her voice.

"You have a last name?" the detective asked, coming closer to her.

Giles interrupted. Tara was not in any shape to answer questions. "Can't that wait till later, Det. Kent? We have injured here, and I would like to get them medical help," Giles spoke up, trying to divert the man's attention from the blonde witch who was shaking enough from the fight, and all that they had been through. He really disliked this man as he tended to be a bully, and a lot of times really couldn't comprehend the supernatural things he was dealing with.

"Yes, I can see that. And where is Miss Summers? She's usually at the heart of something like this," the man asked huffing, looking around, expecting Buffy to pop up anytime in his face like she usually did.

In a quiet, somber tone Giles announced, "she's dead. She fell to her death saving this world. She sacrificed herself to close a portal that was opening between dimensions. If she had failed none of us would be standing here—at all," Giles said, then pointed back behind him to Buffy's tarp covered body.

The detective had not expected that answer, and he was visibly shaken as he had seen the girl in action and was impressed at her abilities. It really must have been a bad fight to take out this fighter. "I take it this was worse than the Mayor being a giant snake?"

"Much, much, much worse," Xander piped up from his corner. "Entire destruction of the universe, and everything bad—not just our world bad."

"Ohh," was all the cowed detective could say as the words the young man were saying sunk in. "And these not so pleasant looking whatevers were on the opposite side trying to open this portal thingy?" he asked pointing to a couple of the crusty minions on the floor.

"Correct. Buffy killed the Goddess responsible for this. Her name was Glory, and she wanted to open the portal, so she could get back to her dimension, However, opening her dimension would have also opened the gates between everyone's dimension which would have resulted in complete chaos, and the destruction of all life everywhere."

"Lovely," the detective commented, unsure what he could add to that, and glad it hadn't been him, or his men trying to stop this Glory. They wouldn't have stood a chance, and he knew it. "I had been hearing the name around town. She had some of the bad elements around here really scared. And Miss Summers' stopped her? She stopped a real, honest to goodness goddess?" he asked incredulously, knowing that the petite blonde was capable of doing quite a lot, but going head to head with a real god weirded even him out..

"Glory was weakened from fighting all of us, and so lacked the energy to fight back as she could have done because the time for her ritual to return was upon her too," Giles explained, trying to keep it simple.

"So can you give me a run down of what occurred here," the detective asked taking out his notepad to take notes on.

"I shall endeavor to do as best I can," Giles replied, stealing a glance over to Xander to see that the EMS personnel were taking Anya from him, and putting her on a gurney to transport her to the hospital. Another paramedic was crouched down with an open bag next to Tara and Willow examining their injuries, and treating them. Beyond them he could see several uniforms, and another medtech bending over the body of Ben. Other officers were poking through the overturned crates, and wood piles to look for victims either alive or dead. It had been bad, but someone besides themselves need to know what this brave girl had done, and sacrificed for everyone—Watcher's Council orders be damned. The girl had been a true hero all the way.

"It began earlier this fall when Buffy rescued some Monks from Glory who was looking for the key back to her dimension," Giles began to explain, altering some of the facts slightly to protect Dawn's pivotal part in this.

When Giles came to the end of his report, the man eyed the other and asked, "and this other sister, where is she at?" Det. Kent inquired.

"In LA with friends, visiting," Giles lied, trying to buy the girl some time until they could figure out what to do. "We thought it best to keep her out of this mess, especially since Glory was threatening all of us in her search for the key."

"I see. I know that that the mother, Mrs. Summers died recently, why is the child not with her father?"

"He is out of the country on business, and until it was settled he was letting Buffy continue with Dawn in their house here as to not disrupt her school and life, more than it had been with their mother's death. Since the father was still unavailable our friends in LA were a viable choice for the child's safety."

"And who are these people? Are they like you, and this group fighting monsters too?" Kent asked pointedly.

"Sometimes," Giles admitted. "But she is in good hands in case there was danger from Glory's people."

"I see. I do wish to contact them, and assure myself that the girl is all right in view of her father being unavailable ,and Miss Summers' death. I need their names, addresses, and means of contacting them," he told Giles, who was trying not to flinch, or look to Willow for help.

"Dawn is staying with Miss Cordelia Chase at her apartment. But you can also contact Mr. Wesley Wyndham-Pryce, and Mr. Angel O'Connor. They all work together at Angel Investigations, a detective agency for problems such as this one," Giles added.

"Is the child aware her sister is dead?"

"We have not had a chance to inform her yet, and I do wish you would allow us to handle that matter since she is still grieving for her mother," Giles told him firmly. He was lying through his teeth, and hoped the detective wouldn't see that. Mainly, he was trying to buy them all time to warn Angel what had happened, and give them a chance to figure out what to do with Dawn.

"Well, Mr. Giles, normally in a situation like this where the guardians of the child are deceased, and all other family members cannot be located then social services are usually called in. However, having gotten to know how tight of a group you are, and recognizing the names of the Angel staff as being part of this group too, I will give you an brief extension of time to inform the child, and to locate a family member for her to go to—otherwise I will have to call social services in on this case. Are we clear, Mr. Giles?" Detective Kent asked pointedly at the older man who was now being examined by a paramedic.

"Quite clear, Detective, and I thank you for your kindness for Dawn's sake." Giles replied sincerely, and breathed a mental sigh of relief.  
  
"I lost a sister to the monsters around here. So I do understand loss. Miss Summers was a real hero, that much I can say. She will be missed by my men, I know that," he told Giles, as the coroner bent over Buffy's body examining her before she was moved, and put into a body bag. "Will they be releasing the other slayer whom I understand is still in jail, or will another slayer be called?"

"Honestly, I don't know what will be happening. I assume another has been called, but whether she is sent here to Sunnydale is up my Watcher's Council to decide. Slayers are sent where they are needed most."

"Pity, there aren't more like Miss Summers to spread around, or that Initative bunch hadn't all cleared out. Will your group still be working?"

"I don't know, detective. I really don't know. That is something we haven't discussed yet. Let us bury our dead first, then we'll deal with those questions," Giles told him as the paramedic finished cleaning up his cuts, and injuries.

"Fine, but I will be in touch with you. You are still at the Magic Box?"

"Yes. Are we free to go?" Giles asked.

"For the moment," the man agreed, and left Giles to walk over to where the coroner was examining Buffy, and the crime scene. 

Other forensic people were also examining the scene, and taking samples. One in particular was following the bloody trail of Dawn's bare footprints from the stairs across the concrete floor to Buffy's body. There was also the clear imprint of a man's heavy boot across one of those footprints. On the platform, too, were found more bare footprints, a woman's booted print, and lots of dried blood spattered all over. Later would be found the knife with three different DNA types on it. Blood closely resembling Miss Summers', an unknown species' blood, and one which they could identify belonging to a vampire. In one of the back offices they would find more bloody footprints by a chair, several partial finger prints, and a boot print.

Then there was the matter of the young, dark haired man dressed in woman's clothing. The man, an intern, later identified to have been recently let go at Sunnydale Hospital, had been beaten by a heavy object mainly on his head, face and upper torso. The identified weapon that had been used seemed to be a large, and strangely shaped hammer of heavy stone that even the strongest man had a hard time lifting. They knew that the small girl had been incredibly strong, but what didn't make sense was if this hammer was used to beat this guy, why wasn't his face smashed to pulp and all the bones in his body shattered completely? He was, or had been human, hadn't he? At least his blood was that they found splattered on the stone like surface of the hammer when they tested it. But the beating hadn't killed him—he had been smothered to death, but by whom? Somehow Detective Kent did not see the Summers' girl doing it. The coroner suspected it had been a man. That left the Englishman, Mr. Harris, and evidently an unknown third male who had vanished from the scene, and who had left the boot prints near Miss Summers' body. Should this be labeled a justifiable homicide, murder, or what? Or should this mess just be quietly shoved under the table under the heading of best to not really know'?

Much of this case would never make sense, or could it be explained reasonably. They had dozens of similar files, missing persons reports, and reports of odd things since the mid nineties when Miss Summers had shown up in town. Maybe with her death things would finally quiet down, and go back to the way they had been. Though somehow the detective had a sinking feeling that that was not going to be the case here. There might be a lull in activity for a while, but the weirdness would be back full force, and much worse because she was not here to stop it.

Detective Kent sighed heavily, and shook his head looking at his teams at work, already imagining the paperwork on this case. He noted that while he had been with the coroner, Mr. Harris had left with injured girl, and the two young women had also left, but Mr. Giles was still there watching them all work. "I thought you were leaving, Mr. Giles?" he asked.

"I will when the coroner leaves with Miss Summers. Someone has to handle the paperwork, and Mrs. Summers before she died had left that to me in case anything did happen to her daughter. We working on my having legal guardianship of Dawn as well, but before it could be acted upon she died suddenly," Giles explained.

"I see," Kent said understanding, and relieved there was someone for handling this since the girls' father could not be immediately located. 

"You were very close to the deceased, and the family?"

"Yes, she was the daughter I never had. I loved her very muchmore than she will ever know. She was courage personified, all that was noble, and right in this sorry bloody worldher time with us was way too short," Giles, said, trying to hold it together. "I came here to be her mentor, her teachernot knowing her at allhaving very set ideas of how she was to be trained, and dealt with. Her being called initially was a shock to my group. She should have been identified at a much earlier age, and trained. By the time I got her she had already lost her first Watcher, I was her second, and I was determined to train her properly as she should have been. Buffy was totally different from any slayer from the beginning, stubborn, defiant, determined to do things her way, but also self sacrificing, loyal, clever, and sometimes brilliant with unerring instincts as what would work, or not in a situation. With her I had to throw out the rule books, and go by my instincts, and my heart. My organization frowns on too personal of an involvement with our charges. We train these poor girls to be fighters, to work alone, no friends, no family, no social life, or involvement with others. They are to be invisible to the world, and people whose lives they save without thanks. With Buffy I broke everyone of those rules, and it did work out. In the end she was the most successful slayer that has ever been. Very few slayers live past their eighteenth birthdays," Giles explained, wanting the other man to know this brave girl.

"That's a real bitch," the man said. "And they accept this?"

"Most do willingly as they are Chosen', that was why they were born. Buffy was never real happy about this honor, and did fight it, but in the end she accepted her destiny, and tried to be the best that she could," Giles told him with a touch of sad pride in his voice.

They both watched as Buffy's bagged body was put into the coroner's van, next to Ben's which had already been put in along with several of the other victims of the fight, and the doors were slammed shut. 

"Do you think I can get a ride back with the doctor?" Giles asked, "my car is still back at the shop. We all walked here from there." 

He really should have headed back to the shop first, and made calls from there to the Council, and to others, but something was telling him to go with the coroner, and make sure they didn't do an autopsy, or embalm the girl. He would have to come up with a very good excuse for them not to, but to let them do it would be a terrible mistake he felt.

Kent nodded, filing the bit of information away in his head of the group having walked not rode there, then he turned, and yelled at the Doctor getting ready to leave. "Hey, Jase, can you give Mr. Giles a lift? He's got to do the paperwork on Miss Summers anyway."

"Sure, Len, no problem," the coroner replied, not upset about the request. He had a few questions anyway about some odder than normal things he and his people had found so far. With a wave of his hand he motioned for Giles to join him.

"Thanks," Giles told him, putting his glasses back in his pocket. "If you have more questions I can be reached at the shop, home, or at the hospital," he added, and with a slight limp in his walk he then went to the black van, and got in.

After Giles left the detective went back to his work of trying to make sense of what really had happened in the warehouse, and he just knew in his bones there was much more to the story he had been told, much, much more. And this time he was going to find out the whole truth.

End Part 2

Yes, there is more coming with view points from the different characters.


	3. Part 3

Untitled Document

Beyond Death's Gifts

by Phoenixstitch

All disclaimers in Part 1.

  
Part 3 

Willow and Tara had left the warehouse after saying quick goodbyes to Xander and Anya. They would met up later either at the hospital, Xander's, or Buffy's depending on what was happening. The two young women, holding on to each other for support because they were both still shaky and exhausted, made their way back through the early morning streets trying to look as inconspicuous as possible. That wasn't easy considering that they were filthy, and covered in bruises, and cuts from the battle. They had to go back to the Magic Box to collect their things, and the belongings of the others. Everything important had been left behind, except for the weapons they had taken with them.

The aftermath of any battle was hard, but this one was the worst yet, Willow thought as she inserted her key in the doorlock of the shop, and opened it. Idly, she noticed that the lights were still on. Xander was supposed to shut them off—he had forgot like they all had in their haste to follow Tara to see if she would led them to Glory's new hideout. She'd yell at him later, she thought. 

The bell above the door jingled cheerfully as they pushed it open. Cheerful was not her mood, and she restrained herself from zapping it into pieces. Coming inside, the smell of incense bombarded her already overloaded senses. Usually the rich mixed fragrances were welcoming scents, bringing pleasant memories. Today it was a hard reminder of the magicks that had been used. Even her powers had not been enough to stop the gate from opening—they had failed—Buffy was deadshe was real deaddead.

Willow stumbled coming down the steps into the main area of the shop as everything began to hit her. Barely making it to the study table she collasped in the first chair she came to, her grief hitting her full force at last. She had cried at the scene, but now in the privacy of the quiet shop she could let it all out. She felt Tara begin to put her arms around her to comfort her—no, DON'T!! DON'T TOUCH ME!!', her mind screamed. And she tore Tara off, and shoved her violently away, not caring where her lover landed. Willow was beyond caring about anything now. Right now she couldn't bear to be touched, to be comforted. She wanted no comfort from anyone right now. She just wanted to feel rather than be numb to it as she had been, to feel the pain, the hurt, her failure at not being able to do more. 

Willow's grief was raw, black, nasty, angry, and terrible. It began to bubble up towards the surface seeking outlets for its release. Tara looking on scooted hurriedly away across the polished wooden floor on her rear trying to find somewhere to hide. Ducking behind the counter she hoped she was safe. Peeking around the corner she saw that Willow was covered in a black transparent haze with thick serpent like red, purple, and gold energies swirling up and down her body twisting in the blasting winds generated by her power. Her eyes were pupilless, black, bottomless depths as she looked towards her daring her to stop her. She was being transformed into something even as she watched. With a sinking feeling Tara knew her friend wanted this to happen, and was fully giving into whatever was happening.

Tara was afraid like she had never been afraid before trying to figure out how to get away from the terrible being Willow was becoming. The gentle blond witch's eyes were huge, and her mouth opened in a silent scream as she beheld the true hidden power her friend possessed watching wild energies crackled out from her small form out of control. Glory had been scary, but what the red headed witch was doing was many times worse, and she had no idea how to stop her. Whatever Willow was now was beyond Tara's capacity to understand, or cope with. Even love has it's limits, and she didn't think love was going to be able to reach the sheer pain that this being was giving off. She needed help to bring Willow back to herself. Unfortunately, Xander was with Anya at the hospital, Giles maybe was too. She dismissed Dawn and Spike from consideration, and didn't think they wouldn't be any help, and Buffy was gone.

She really didn't have any ideas what to do.

*******************************************

Xander waited outside the emergency room while they treated Anya. He was pacing back and forth because he was still to keyed up and worried about Anya, and everyone else that had survived. Until he knew they were all taken care of and safe he was not going to allow himself to think or grieve for Buffy. He had his head down and almost ran into Giles who had come to look for him.

"Hey watch it," Xander said instinctively, drawing back before he recognized the older man. "Ohh, it's you, Giles. How did you get here?" he asked, stopping his pacing to talk.

"With Buffy," he told the young man, and Xander's face fell.

"I see. They took her to themorgue?" Xander finally managed to ask uncomfortably, having a hard time with the word, and the concept of her being really gone still.

Giles, nodded, equally as uncomfortably. "Yes, I had to do the paperwork.her father still can't be reached. I tried. I can't understand what the devil is wrong with that bloody manfirst his ex wife, and now his daughterall I can get out of his secretary is that she'll give him the message. Bloody cold bitch. Bloody hell, doesn't he care?" Giles said, trying not to break down, and keep his emotions under control for just a little longer.

Xander didn't have answer for him either. Buffy had never talked about her father much since he had known her. He got the impression once Buffy's parents had divorced, the man had also divorced his children too. A card and some flowers had come from his office for Joyce's funeral, but there had been no calls to Buffy or Dawn from their father. What kind of business was the man in that put him that much out of reach from the modern world? Even the far reaches of civilization had phones now. Xander realized that he didn't even have a clue what the man did for a living. Buffy had never said. 

"Isn't there any other family?" Xander asked, trying to remember if any relatives had showed up at Joyce's funeral. He could recall any. All the mourners had been friends or business acquaintances of the family.

"Unfortunately, no. I checked the records carefully hoping that there might be a cousin, or aunt, or just someone that Dawn could go to in case Buffy had problems with her guardianship. There is no one, but Mr. Summers," Giles told him bitterly.

"Bummer."

"Extremely, for Dawn's sake. We also have no guarantee that he even knows of her. We have no idea how well the monk's spell worked. Until then we will have to just muddle through. I told Detective Kent that Dawn was in Los Angeles with Cordelia, and that we would break the news to her ourselves," Giles told him, pulling him over to the side so they could sit down, and talk without being overheard.

"Good thinking. But we'll have to warn Cordy what's up, and then someone has to tell Angeloh god, I am not so looking forward to that. It'll destroy him," Xander said in slow realization. Spike's breakdown had been hard enough to take, Angel's would be much, much worse.

"I know. I think that it needs to be done person and person, either you, or Willow need to go."

"I can't Anya needs me. She's got several broken ribs, and a broken ankle. They are keeping her overnight for observation. I need to be here. And there's still Dawn to consider too. Spike is not my first choice of a guardian for her. Right now he's it though. If Willow has to go to LA then I'm going to have to go check on them. And what about the shop?"

Giles sighed, "I bloody well could care less about that. With Anya hurt, there is no one left to run it if you and Willow are busy as Tara is too afraid of people. For the time being the shop is going to stay closed," Giles decided, and they both looked up to see a female middle aged, dark haired doctor coming their way.

"Mr. Harris?" she asked, motioning him to follow her.

"Yes, is Anya okay?" he asked getting up with Giles trailing along next to him, the doctor looked back and forth between them, "it's okay, he's my dad," Xander reassured her, and Giles just looked heavenward. 

"Fine, whatever," the doctor responded. "Miss Jenkins is doing quite well considering her injuries. There was no harm to the baby," she said, and saw both men look shocked.

"Babywhat baby?" Xander managed to sputter, finding himself on the verge of fainting.

"Ohh, I assumed you knew she was six weeks pregnant. You are the father, aren't you?" she asked, with a questioning eyebrow.

"Well yes, at least I think I am. Baby, I'm going to have a baby?" he said in sheer wonder, and turned and hugged Giles, "Giles, I'm going to be a fatherohh wow," he said, tears coming to his eyes. "Can I see her now?"

"Yes, but I did want to tell you you could take her home as long as she stays in bed for the next couple of days and rests. She needs to stay off her feet, and give her ribs time to heal. I emphasized to her no working, no lifting, just laying back and taking it easy. She kept going on about her job, and how important it was. I do hope you will contact her employer and let him know she does need some sick time off. The man sounds like a slaver driver," she told them, and Xander had to kept from laughing.

"Slaver driver? Me? I do say that was bloody rude of her making people think that," Giles protested, causing the doctor to look at him oddly.

"Anyway, Mr. Harris, we'll be sending her home with crutches and her medications. If she has any problem either call or bring her back."

"That's great, that's wonderful. Thank you, doctor," he told her, trying to rein in his excitement. 

"Right, she's in room 6. Just go to the charge nurse, and she'll get her discharged," she told them and then left to go finish making her rounds.

"Damn, I wish I had brought our car. It's still at the shop," Xander said trying to think how he was going to get Anya home.

"So is mine as well. Maybe Willow is there and can bring one of them here. I'll give the shop a ring and see if anyone is there," Giles told him.

"Good plan. You go check, and I'll get her checked out." Xander replied, and they parted ways to accomplish their tasks.

Giles called the shop and was about ready to give up when Tara finally answered the phone. Her voice sounded weak, and very far away. "Tara, what in heavens name is wrong now?' he asked, not wanting to have another crisis so soon.

"It's Willow, something is wrong with hershe's out of control."

"Out of control? Now what bloody hell? Tara, please listen carefullywhat is wrong with Willow, can you give me a clue? Is she sick? Is it something magical, or demony?" he asked, trying to keep his voice level and calm.

"It's magical, her magic inside—angry magic because she's really upset over Buffy. So far she's just standing there, but she's scaring me, and she's giving off really bad energies."

"Has she hurt you?"

"Not yet, but she shoved me away before she started changing. I'm back behind the counter. Can you do somethingcalm her downshe won't listen to me," she begged him, the raw fear coming across loud and clear.

"Okay, remain calm, and stay where you are. We'll be there as soon as we can. We're waiting on Anya to be released from the hospital. I'll tell Xander, and I'll call a cab and come on ahead," he reassured the frightened woman.

"Thanks, Mr. Giles," she replied gratefully, looking around the corner of the counter to check on Willow. The angry energies were still going, but they seem to be lessening in strength. "Please hurry, " she added, and then hung up the phone. And she cringed back against the wood frame of the counter, and hoped that help would arrive very, very soon as she watched Willow spot her and start to walk her way.

To be Continued?

End Part 3


	4. Part 4

beyond4

Beyond Death's Gifts 

by Phoenixstitch 5/22/2001 

Part 4   
  
  


Part 4 

"You got your key, Little Bit?" Spike asked as they neared her house. 

It had taken longer than either had thought to get there, and the sun was beating down unmercifully on the bright orange tarp that covered him. He was already feeling the sun´s deadly effects, draining his energy, weakening him even further than he already was, but he forced himself to keep moving so he could get her to safety. She was the one that counted not him. He could not rest until she was taken care of and safe. He owed Buffy that and much more. He had never felt so exposed as he did now and ducking down in the sewers was no an option because of the young girl that was with him. It was too dangerous for her. Too many of his fellows and the other nasties of Sunnydale used the tunnels underneath the town during the daylight hours to get around town, and he was in no shape to protect her, or even himself from anything that might want to make a snack out her. 

Dawn shook her head. "No, lost it somewhere…I think when Glory grabbed me at the gas station," she replied, embarrassed. "I think the spare´s gone too, and Buffy had the only other one," she sighed. 

"Well, it looks like we´re going to have to do some breaking and entering, I guess. Back door. It´ll be easier to fix than the front and a lot less noticeable to your neighbors," he said as they walked up the sidewalk then veered around the side to go to the backyard. 

It took just a couple of seconds for Spike jerk the storm door open then ram his fist through the glass panel of the back door and unlock the door so they could enter. Luckily this side of the house was in deep shade so he could leave the bulky tarp on the porch. He opened the door and let her enter first. Their feet crunched loudly on the broken glass in the stillness of the house. He would get that cleaned up as soon as he got her settled, he told himself. They made it as far as the kitchen stools before they collasped heavily on them. But then Dawn bounded up quickly to close the still open kitchen blinds before the sun could reach her companion. 

"Thanks," he told her wearily. "You don´t think there might be a spot of blood around, do you?" he asked hopefully. 

Dawn shook her head. "Nope. Not something Buffy´s been buying," she said worriedly, knowing he needed blood to not only survive, but to help heal his injuries. She went over to the refrigerator and started looking through it to see if they had any meat type things. "The closest thing with blood in it is maybe some chicken livers we were going to have for a meal. Would that help?" she asked. 

He gave her a wan grin. "Yeah, that´ll help. Hope Giles thinks to pick me something up from Willie´s or the hospital," he added. 

"Cold or warm?´ she asked as she took the container out of the frig and looked at him about ready to fall off his chair. 

"Warm, just pop in the microwave for a minute or so," he said tiredly, and she did. "Your sis got a first aid kit around here?" he asked while they waited. 

"Upstairs. I´ll go get it as soon as this is done," she answered, watching the container go round and round on the center carousel as it heated the livers. A least she could do this, take care of them both. Doing things, well almost normal things, was helping with the numbness, and unreality of her life she was feeling right now. 

"It´s done," she said as the bell rang. "Do you want me to put it anything like a bowl or somethin´?´ she asked unsure what to do next. 

"What it´s in will be fine, Nibblet. Just go find that kit, and a bunch on towels," he told her taking the towel wrapped container from her. "Then when you get back, just leave them. and you go back up, and take a shower so you can get all the blood off you, and we can doctor your wounds right," Spike added. The scent of her blood now that they were in an enclosed space was getting to him. He knew the chicken´s blood wasn´t going to do much more than take the edge off his hunger, but it was better than nothing. 

Dawn looked down at herself. She had forgotten about the cuts on her stomach. They hurt a little, but then her whole body hurt so she had just ignored them in her haste to get them both to safety. The dried blood was probably driving her friend nuts. "Yeah, you´re right. Better to be clean when we bandage them," she said understanding. "I´ll go get the stuff. I´ll be right back," she said leaving him. She also knew he did want her to see him vamp out as he drank the blood and gross or scare her. 

Of the two, she was in decidedly better shape. Spike was a mess with blood on his face, hands, and she knew he had gotten stabbed by Doc as well. By the way he had been limping and holding his side as well as breathing hard, she suspected he also had some broken ribs and broken bones. She knew a little on how to deal with those kinds of things from helping Buffy. Their mom would have freaked if she had really known how banged up Buffy used to come home and how she had helped her tape up her injuries. 

Dawn found the kit and grabbed up a bunch of towels, and a couple of washrags too. She also got Spike a clean t-shirt. It was green. She wasn´t sure whether it had belonged to her Dad, Riley, Xander, or Angel but he needed to change his shirt as his was pretty far gone. When she got back to the kitchen she found Spike standing. He had taken his duster off, and was taking off his boots. He was wincing in pain as he eased the Doc Martin off one of his feet, and took off his sock to look at his broken ankle and foot. 

"That looks really bad," she commented as she set the kit and towels down on the counter then went over to the cabinets to get a large bowl and filled it with warm water. 

"Yeah, it´s not too good. Had it worse. Sure be okay in a couple of days, but I need to take it easy on it until it mends back. You go on and get cleaned up while I deal with all of this," he said looking at her. 

"Sure you don´t want any help? I used to help Buffy when she got hurt so Mom wouldn´t know," Dawn volunteered. 

"Maybe, I´ll let you help me tape up my ribs. But I need you not to be so smelling of blood when you do it, got it?" he told her gently. 

"Got it," she sighed, understanding that she was driving him nuts. "Okay, I´ll be back in a little while," she told him, and he nodded in relief as she left and went back upstairs. 

Taking a towel and washrag he went over to the sink and stripped off his shirt then began washing off his face and hands then gingerly began working down his body, gritting his teeth at how sore he was. The white wash cloth had become quickly stained with blood. The knife wound that Doc had given him was still oozing pretty heavily and hurt more than it should. It was not closing up as it should have by now after a couple of hours time. He was healing more and more slowly these days, which was not good. He had begun to notice that after Glory had tortured him. Injuries which should have been healed overnight were taking days sometimes a week to recover from. He suspected it had something to do with his fight with the Ghora demon, and her sinking his teeth into his side. He hadn´t been really right since then. He was feeling weaker, and weaker physically, and his strength and reflexes weren´t much better than the whelp´s anymore. He thought the boy suspected something was up as he had been guarding his back when they had been fighting, especially when they had confronted Doc. Xander had saved his ass, and they both knew it, but wisely the kid hadn´t commented on it to anyone else, especially Buffy. He would need Dawn´s help on bandaging this up. 

Then there was the whole needing to catch a breath all the time. That was really starting to bother him. He had actually been getting winded when he exerted himself too much. A couple of times he felt like his heart was beating—but that couldn´t be his heart was long dead and stilled—wasn´t it? Maybe it was time he 'fessed up to Giles about the run in with the Ghora, and see what was wrong with him—maybe he would be able to find something out in those books of his. As it was, the whole thing that was happening to his once invulnerable body was scaring him. This was not bloody normal for any vampire, and he knew it didn´t have a damn thing to do with the chip, or lack of real blood in his diet. And that was the other thing—his increased craving, and need for human food. Sure he had been eating food off, and on since he had been turned because he liked it, but now he 'needed´ it. He had had to put the livers back in, and cook them a bit. They had been just too raw for him to handle. When before he would have enjoyed their rawness, he couldn´t without gagging and getting sick of his stomach, which was another thing he shouldn´t be able to be either. 

He was beginning to wonder if he was slowly turning human. He had never heard of such a thing happening, but giving that the Ghora eggs were used in restoration spells maybe the bite, and blood of one on undead flesh could be doing something to him, making him change? That would be a laugh. Him a bloody human again? It would be about par for the course for his life. Not that he would reject the idea entirely now. He was damn near there as it was being neutered, and unable to be a proper vamp any more. But then if he was human he´d be useless, no more strength, healing, reflexes. Though being able to go anywhere any time of the bloody day, and people accepting him, not afraid of him would be nice. 

It would also be easier for him to be able to take care of Dawn. That was going to be a big mess now with both her mom and sis gone. What the hell were they going to do about her? He knew Buffy´s father had never surfaced for Joyce´s funeral or anything else. Was the poor kid going to have to go into foster care? Was Giles going to be able to take care of her? Would he want to? He had heard Giles tell Buffy that Dawn had to die and he was going to blame the girl for being alive instead of dying when she was supposed to. Giles had looked upon Buffy as a daughter. Spike didn´t think the Watcher felt the same about Dawn, and that worried him. When it came down to it he was really the only one that did love the child, and understood her. The others may say they did, but it was only because of Buffy, and not because of Dawn herself that they cared. He knew that they all were going object to his taking care of girl, but he had made a promise to Buffy, and he was going to keep it no matter what they said, or tried to do to him to make him stay out of her life. 

He felt her before he heard her come into the kitchen. He was still standing in front the sink trying to get the knife cut to stop bleeding without much luck. He heard her gasp of surprise as she took in his injuries. "I take it it´s pretty bad?" he asked causally turning around to take in her towel wrapped hair, and clean clothes of t-shirt and loose pants. 

"God, how you can be still standing and walking around?" she asked, her eyes big as she took in the wound on his stomach. 

"Comes from bad living. I´ve had worse. Glory comes to mind, recently. It´ll heal," he tried to reassure her. "Is the one of the back still bleeding as bad as the front one?´ he asked, turning and rinsing out the already bloody wash cloth again and put it back against the cut again. 

"Yeah, it´s pretty bad," she said coming over to him to look closer at it. "Doc really did a number on you. Think the blade might have been magical or something and that´s why you´re still bleeding?´ she asked wetting the towel and wiping the cut and his lower back clean. 

"Maybe, dunno. Something like this needs stitches to make it close. Can you do it?" he asked, eyeing her. 

Dawn shrugged a little scared. "I don´t know. Never had to do it for Buffy. Last time she was hurt that bad Riley did it," she said apologizing remembering when Buffy had gotten a stake in her stomach months ago. "But I can try if you want me to. Giles and the others may not get here for a while and your bleeding is not a good thing." 

"I go along with that, Nibblet. Okay, I´ll talk you through it," he agreed, knowing that the others wouldn´t be here for hours at least and his wound could wait. "Go over to the kit and see if there is a needle and thread in there," he told her as she went over and looked through the kit. 

"Found it," she told him holding it up as he came over to where she was. He took another towel and laid it on the table counter then leaned over on his stomach and laid so she could reach him better. 

"We´ll do the back one first. Clean off the wound real good then take one of those alcohol packets and open it and wipe the area down. Then cut off a good length of the thread and thread the bloody needle. Now, this is going to be the hard part, you´re going to have to pinch the skin together, and then start sewing it together. Doesn´t have to be fancy, just so it´ll close together," Spike told her, turning his head to look at her and seeing how pale she had become. "It´ll be okay, Nibblet. You can´t hurt me any more than I´ve already been hurt, okay?" he reassured the nervous teenager. 

"If you´re sure?" she said nervously looking at the pale expanse of his naked back. She had never touched a guy before alive or dead and now she was going to sew him up? 

"Look, pet, if I could reach it I´d do it myself. Just do it," he told her, knowing how difficult it was for her. 

"Okay," she gulped nervously and did as he told her, surprised that his skin wasn´t as cold as she thought it was going to be after all. She knew her jabbing him with a needle was hurting him as she could feel him tremble as he controlled himself by clenching his fists, and gritted his teeth. She sewed up the three inch hole as tight as she could, not thinking she was sewing flesh not cloth together. When she was done she cleaned the blood off again and put some ointment on it before putting a gauze bandage and taping it. "All done," she announced. She was still shaking a little from what she had just did but she was also proud that she had did it and hadn´t fainted or grossed out too much. 

"Good. You did good, pet," he said with a heavy sigh. "Now comes the one on the front. Just do it the same way," he said, turning over, and laying down gently on his back his muscled arms over his eyes. 

Dawn gulped very nervously now. His back had been one thing, but she was having a very hard time dealing with his sculpted chest and stomach. God, had Buffy ever seen him without his shirt like this? No guy should look this good like some sort of movie star, or a real god. None of the boys at school looked like Spike did either. But this was Spike who was and always would be in love with her sister and she was way too young for Spike. He was way off limits. He was a friend. The older brother she had never had. She had to do this for him. Calming herself, she made herself focus on the job, not the man in front of her as she stepped between his legs and began cleaning his stomach wound which seemed to be worse than the one on his back had been. 

"Spike, are you sure you don´t need to go to a hospital? This doesn´t look too good," she commented, seeing his guts poking through once she had cleaned the blood off again. And the area felt hot to her touch. "I thought you were all dead and everything and cold. It feels like you´re warm. Why are you warm? She asked unsure what to do now and a bit frightened. 

"What do you mean I´m warm? Shouldn´t be. Not possible," he told her, raising his head to look at her. 

"You feel warm to me and I can see your guts, or a least it looks like guts-- all gray, and pink, and icky," she told him. 

"What? No, you got to be wrong, pet. I don´t have guts anymore. Least I didn´t have guts the last time I got cut there," he replied worriedly, trying to stay calm himself. He reached down and felt what she was seeing. "What the bloody hell?" he exclaimed in shock. "I got bleeding guts? No---this is too bloody weird." 

"What do you want me to do?´ she asked, standing back a little watching his confused, and frightened expressions. She was having trouble dealing with what he had just told her too. Both of them were trying not to panic, or think what his having guts again meant. 

"I don´t know. Wish the bloody Watcher was here, or Willow. They´d maybe have an idea what was happening, or what to do. But I don´t think leaving it open is an option. Let´s just go ahead, and get me sewed up. Just be a bit more careful about I,t and try not to nick anything," Spike told her , his voice very shaky now as he laid back down on the counter 

"If you´re sure?´ Dawn asked, afraid now of hurting him. 

"Yeah, about as sure as I am about anything right now," he told her bracing himself, and wishing he had a drink to handle the pain he was feeling. He clenched his fists together, and gritted his teeth as he felt each stab of the needle into his flesh. That was also a new thing—this awareness of pain. Sure there was always some feeling but it was usual dull, distant, and dealable—this was sharp, and immediate like somehow dead flesh was now alive again. He began to be more scared than he already was. 

Dawn gritted her teeth, and sewed up his wound which was larger than the one in back because Doc had deliberately twisted the blade, and then Spike had fought him before he could pull it out. She was also a lot more careful doing this one than the other. She put a large amount of ointment on before she put the bandages and tape on. "Finished. Any more that need doing?" she asked, standing back as he sat up carefully. 

"See any other damage?" he asked. "I´d look myself, but mirrors, and I don´t get along too well," tried to smile, and found that hurt too. 

Dawn looked him over. "Just some cuts on your face, bunch of bruises, and you still got blood in your hair," she told him. 

He limped over to the sink, and ducked his head under the faucet, using some dish soap to wash his hair. 

"I could have gotten you some shampoo," she told him, shaking her head, and handing him a towel to dry it with. 

"Nay, this is fine. At least it´s clean now," he added as he sat down so she could put ointment, and Band-Aids on his cuts. "How are your cuts?´ he asked when she finished. 

"All gone mostly. They all have healed up, not bleeding at all. Just scratches now. I guess I heal like Buffy," she said, trying not to sound too cheerful, or say her sister´s name, or think about her yet. She lifted her shirt enough to show him she wasn´t lying. 

Spike just shook his head. She was all healed. He was the one that wasn´t healing. It was like their roles had shifted somehow. Did she have Buffy´s other abilities too now? He had once called her 'Bitty Buffy´ was she more like her sister than any of them had suspected? Was she still 'the Key" too, or had that gone away when Glory had died and the portal had closed. 

"It´s okay, pet, you can say her name. How are you holding up?" he asked, her seriously. 

She shrugged, sitting down on the stool next to him as he put on the shirt she had found for him. "I feel numb mostly. Feeling like this is a dream, more than what happened when Mom died. I want to cry, but I can´t—not yet. And hungry. I didn´t eat when Glory´s minions tried to feed me a couple of times. I thought why bother. I´m going to die any way, should I eat. You hungry?" she asked. 

He thought about a minute. "Yeah, I am and not for blood either. Damn near couldn´t get the chicken blood down earlier. Got any of that hot chocolate around?" he asked. 

She smiled. "Yeah, still got some. I´ll make you some and see if there´s anything to cook quick," she told him going to the cabinets to look while he wrapped up his ankle, worried a little at it swelling and being warm to his touch. It felt broken or crushed, but he wasn´t going to leave her to go get it looked at. If it was still bad tonight after someone showed up he might try to have a doctor look at it. But how was he going to explain having no medical records or any that he hadn´t been alive for over a hundred plus years. 

He was definitely going to have to talk to the Watcher, and the Witch about these changes his body was deciding to do. Gathering up all the dirty towels, and medical stuff, he cleaned off the counter. He knew where the laundry room was from previous explorations so he threw the dirty towels in the washer, while his mangled shirt was dumped in the trash with the rest of the trash. 

One thing that was bothering him was that there had been no calls since they had arrived. He knew that the Watcher was busy dealing with Buffy, Xander had taken Anya to the hospital, but the two witches were supposed to go to the shop then come here. Why hadn´t anyone called to see if they had made it back to the house? He looked at the phone and the message light wasn´t blinking so there had been no calls. Spike wasn´t sure to be worried or not yet. 

"Hey, Nibblet, think I should call the shop to see if anyone is there?" he asked coming back in the kitchen. 

"Yeah, maybe. Willow, or Giles should have called by now, don´t you think?" 

"I´m thinking that too. What´s the number at the shop?" he asked picking up the phone in the kitchen. She gave it to him and he dialed. It rang four times and he was about to give up when it was picked up finally. 

"Giles, is that you? You got to hurry…oh goddess, she sees me….no, no…," Tara hysterical voice cried on the other end of the phone freaking Spike out. 

"What the bloody hell? Is that you Blondie? What the hell is going on now? Where´s Red?" he asked worriedly, as Dawn looked at him stopping what she was doing taking their dinners out of the microwave. 

"Is that you Spike? It´s Willow—she´s gone all demony on me. Her eyes are all black, and she´s floating above the floor, and there just so much energy….She wants to hurt me, do something to me…I can feel her, and I don´t know what to do to stop her. I´m hiding…she hasn´t found me yet. Mr. Giles is supposed to be coming," Tara told him in rush. 

"Shit!" he exclaimed, not sure what to tell the witch. Even if he was there he wouldn´t be any help. Willow could toss any of them around with just a gesture or a word now. No wonder the other girl was scared. He´s be too in her shoes. "What happened? How she´d get like that?" he had to ask. 

"I dunno. She was crying over Buffy, and failing her, and then just suddenly something took over her or something. Next I knew her eyes went all black, and then there was this big wind storm around her. All I could do was hide, and call Mr. Giles. I just hope she either snaps out of it, or Mr. Giles can figure out something," she told him trying to stay calm. 

"He´s good about that," he told her trying to help her stay calm. "Where is she now?" he asked. 

"She was here, and about to grab me. I closed my eyes, and now I don´t see her, and it´s gotten all quiet now," she said worriedly. 

"Can you take a peek, and see where she´s at?" he asked, keeping his voice steady, and calm for the frightened woman on the other end. 

"I´ll try," the scared young woman replied, setting the phone down, and getting up slowly to look around, and look over the counter. The shop was empty. Willow had left. The front door hung loosely on it´s hinges wide open. Of her friend there was no sign. She grabbed up the phone, "Spike, she´s gone. The door is open, so I think she´s left, gone somewhere," she told him, her voice still shaky from her terrifying experience on top of what she had just been through earlier that day with Glory. 

"Any idea of where she might have gone, or be up to?" he asked, trying to sort out what was up with Willow himself. 

"I really don´t know. All I know is that she was upset about Buffy. I hope she´s not going to try to bring her back," she told him. 

"Well, she might if she thought she could somehow. Where´s Giles? When I called you thought I was him. Was he coming there to the shop?" Spike asked her, his mind racing with all kinds of dire possibilities of Willow could, or couldn´t do with the power she had been showing recently. 

"I think so. He was at the hospital with Xander a little while ago, and I asked him to come do something with Willow," she said. She looked up and saw Giles and Xander come in through the busted door looking around in shock. "Wait, they just came in. Let me see if they want to talk to you," she said as she put the phone down, and rapidly explained what had happened to the two men while Spike waited. 

Dawn brought over his hot chocolate, and he took it gratefully from her as he tried to hear what was being said. 

"Spike, are you and Dawn all right?" Giles asked over the phone finally. 

"Pretty much. Got ourselves cleaned up, and fixed up. Now she´s eating. What´s the deal with Willow?" he asked. 

"Good, the child needs to eat. As to Willow, I have no idea, really. The shop is pretty torn up. I had no idea she had this much power. It´s very disturbing," the Watcher told him surveying the damage to the store and merchandise. Xander walked past him with a tool box, and began working on the door, so it could be shut again while Tara tried to start picking some of the mess up from the floor.. 

"Then you haven´t been paying attention. What she did at the gas station to keep those knights out was impressive. Scared me to know she could do stuff like that. I´ve never seen anyone, demon, or human with that kind of sheer bloody power. Did blondie tell you she´s afraid that Red might try to bring Buffy back?" Spike warned him. 

Giles let out a startled gasp. "Ohh dear God, no, she hadn´t yet. If Willow is that upset it is well within the range of possibility. But I have no clue how to stop her if she tries to," Giles told him truthfully. 

Dawn had heard him tell Giles that Willow was going to try, and bring Buffy back. She looked scared and hopeful all at the same time. "Spike, you gotta take me there to the hospital where Buffy is," she told him going over to where he was still listening to Giles. 

He turned to her, shaking his head. "No, we´re staying put. Giles wants us to stay put. Red is out of control, and he doesn´t know what to do with her either, or how to stop her," he told her firmly. 

Dawn glared back at him angrily, shaking her head. "I´m going. I don´t care what either you, or him says. You´re not in charge of me. If there´s a chance that Buffy can be brought back then I´m all for it. I 'need´ to be there," she told him her eyes flashing fire. "You can´t stop me. I´m going," she said and before he could react she had flung open the back door, and ran out. He stood there numbly holding the phone, feeling like he had failed all over again to keep his promise to keep Dawn safe. 

"Ohh bloody hell," Spike cursed, then turned his attention back to Giles on the phone. "Watcher, Lil´ Bit just ran out the friggin´ door. I couldn´t even catch her. Looks like she´s heading to the soddin´ hospital. My sentiments exactly," he told him listening to Giles curse. 

"Spike, I´ll send Xander to pick you up in his car. I´ll take Tara, and head back to the hospital. We´ll try to keep an eye out for Dawn on the way. Hopefully, we can get Willow to snap out of whatever has happened to her before she does anything.," he told the vampire. 

"Got it. I´ll be waiting. Good luck," he told the man, and hung up. 

While he waited for Xander he put his boots back on, then retrieved the orange tarp from the back porch. He cleaned up the glass from the floor from earlier. Then put Dawn´s plate, and cup in the sink, and took a few bites out of the meatball dinner she had made him before he dumped it in the trash, and went into the living room to wait on Xander. 

It didn´t seem like they were going to get a break, not with Willow going all super witch on them, and Dawn freaking. Part of him was hoping that the witch could somehow pull if off, and bring Buffy back, but not if she came back all zombie, or worse. That was his greatest fear that the Buffy they knew, and loved would not come back--that something else would in her place. 

He never did ask Dawn what had happened when she did the spell to bring her Mum back. Since he had seen no evidence of Joyce around he figured she had decided not to do it after all. He hadn´t stuck around that night to find out because he had to go home, and patch himself up from fighting the Ghora. The beast had got him good, and proper and taken a good hunk out of his side. The wound had been all mucked up with the beast´s saliva, and blood. He had cleaned it the best he could and taped it up before he had passed out. He made meant to go back and check on Lil´ Bit but he hadn´t been able to get out for days afterward. Since Dawn hadn´t been coming around he figured that she had begun to accept her Mum´s death, and had let the whole idea of her mom coming back go. 

He didn´t want to get up hope that Buffy could be restored. Already he had begun to accept Buffy´s death. He had seen Buffy´s body fall to the ground, and knew she was gone. He had cried at the construction site, but he wasn´t going to allow himself the luxury of letting his grief overtake him right now. He needed to keep a clear, level head about him, and deal with the present, whatever was going to happen next. His not being able to run after Dawn, and the limitations of his unlife were getting to him. he still didn´t know what to make of what his body was doing. Something was happening to him, but he didn´t dare hope that he was becoming human again. It was too unbelievable. 

A loud knocking on the front door jarred him out of his thoughts. Carefully he opened it to see Xander. "Didn´t take you long," Spike said grabbing up his tarp, and putting it over himself. 

"Giles said to hurry. Though I´m not sure why he wanted you to come," Xander said, looking over the vampire with weary disgust. 

"I don´t know either. We´ll find out I guess," he said closing the door, leaving it unlocked until they could find a key. They walked to the car with Spike getting in the back seat. "How´s your girlfriend doing?" Spike asked to cut the deadly silence in the car as they sped across town. 

"They´ll let her come home tomorrow. She´s got a broken ankle and some cuts. Not too bad considering a wall fell on her. But the best news is that she´s pregnant. I´m going to be a father," Xander told him, bracing himself for some sort of caustic remark from the vampire. 

"Congratulations. I mean it. At least someone has something to look forward to. That mean you and she are going to get hitched?" Spike asked, looking out the window, trying to keep an eye out for Dawn just in case. 

"Yeah, soon as we can. I asked her to marry me just before we went into battle with Glory last night. God, has it only been since last night?" he said shaking his head, trying not to let the tired take him over. 

"Good for you. I hope the two of you will be happy—I mean it. Buffy would have wanted you two to have some bleedin´ happiness," he told Xander seriously. 

"Thanks. We were going to tell everyone, but Anya wanted to wait until after the battle to say anything. Thought it might upset Buffy or something, seeing how sensitive she is on relationships," Xander told him. 

Spike nodded. "yeah, I got that finally. I apologize to the lot of you for making it worse by telling her how I felt and hoping there was something there between us. I screwed up royally with Dru, the robot, everything when I just should have kept my trap shut and let her be and work things out in her head after soldier boy left and her Mum died. I finally got it through my thick skull that there wasn´t any way she and I would ever be anything to each other. The best I could hope for was her tolerating me around ,and maybe being friends. And try to be there for her and the Nibblet if they´d let me be," he told Xander. 

"Wow, I don´t know what to say. That is quite a change of attitude." 

"Had a lot happen recently to make me think, and see how things really were with her. I still love her. That´s never going to change. Now with her gone, I´m just grateful for what time I did have around her. The one we all got to worry about is Dawn. I´m real worried what´s going to happen to her," Spike told him. 

"I know, me too, and so Giles. There just hasn´t been time to think about what next." 

"Yeah, it doesn´t seem to ever bloody stop. Last night we were all sitting around the shop trying to figure out what to do. It hasn´t even been twenty four hours yet that all of this went down ,and no one, but us knows how bloody close it came to being everyone´s bloody last night forever," Spike stated simply. 

"They never do. But I think a few others know now that something went down. Some 'things´ escaped from the portal when it was open. It´s been all over the news to day. They´ve been reporting holes opening up in the road, some real weird beings wandering around, strange buildings appearing, dragons, all kinds of things that didn´t go back when the portal shut. Looks like we still have to do clean up," Xander told him. 

"Great, just great. Well, it´s just going to have to bloody wait. I´m still bloody banged up from falling off that soddin´ tower on those bricks. Had a damn knife rammed through me by 'Doc, and it´s still bleeding and not healing. Nibblet said my bloody guts were coming out, and the area was all hot like I have a bloody temperature or infection. She managed to sew me up, but it hurts like hell and doesn´t feel right," Spike complained. 

"I thought you didn´t have guts being all undead and all?" Xander questioned, looking back at him. 

"Neither did I. Didn´t have any to worry about before. Same way blood about made me puke too." 

"Blood? Where you get blood?" Xander asked worriedly. 

"Chicken blood—Harris. Nibblet found me some chicken livers. Had to cook the things to get them down, and that never bothered me either before. Something weird is happening to me," he said, finally noticing that his hand had slipped from under the tarp, and was it direct sunlight, and had been for a while. Nothing was happening to it except his skin getting slightly red. He decided not share this discovery until he could test it out more. "Here we are," Spike told him. "Pull up by the morgue. Bet that´s where everyone´s at," he suggested and Xander did finding a parking space as quick as he could. 

Around that end of the building hung a huge dark, boiling, cloud crackling with multicolored lightening bolts. They looked at each other worriedly. "This does not look good for our heroes," Xander said grimly as they got out. 

"Nope, not good at all," Spike echoed him, feeling the cold wind rip at their clothes. With great effort they fought their way across the parking lot to the entrance where Giles and Tara crouched, huddled next to huge stone planter by the doors. 

"I see you made it," Giles greeted as they joined the Watcher. 

"Any sign of Dawn?" Spike asked. 

"She didn´t come this way, but she could have already gotten in already through one of the other entrances." 

Spike nodded accepting that and feeling that the girl was already there anyway. "Okay, so what´s the plan?" 

"I´m hoping we can talk Willow down, reach her some way. We can´t fight her magically. She´s too powerful, and none of us want to use weapons against her even if we could," Giles told him bluntly. 

"Well let´s do it," Xander agreed and they got up, and forced themselves forward against the hurricane force winds rushing towards them from inside the building. 

End part 4 

  
  


[Vickey Brickle-Macky @ vbmacky1@yahoo.com][1]   
  


   [1]: mailto:vbmacky1@yahoo.com



	5. part 5

Beyond Death's Gifts Part 5/5   
by Phoenixstitch 

Usual disclaimers in Part 1. This is being finished up 11/4/01. Since I have seen "Bargaining" and up to "Buffy the Musical" I'm going to go ahead and end this. Maybe later I might continue in the wake of this ending, but right now I am blanking out since I am working on the new parts of "Hate and Love", and that's taking most of my energies. Feedback to vbmacky1@yahoo.com 

Part 5 

They headed towards the morgue. With each step the wind was stronger. Spike and Xander held on to Tara, helping her to walk against the powerful blasts. Surrounding the doors to the morgue green, and gold lights were streaming around the edges, and they could now hear chanting. Two voices joined together—Dawn's, and Willow's. 

"We're too bloody late," Spike shouted over the howling winds looking in through the opened doors, his pale face looking paler in the unearthly light coming from inside the room. 

Before them in the center of the room in a protective circle that had been drawn on the floor in red, were Willow and Dawn on opposite sides of Buffy's sheet clad body which was lying on a metal cart. From both young women energy was streaming from their hands, meeting together, merging into a rainbow colored white light that completely surrounded Buffy's body. The light was so bright, and intense it was painful to look at like a miniature sun had been captured. And Buffy's body was responding to it as it jerked, and twisted seemingly absorbing the energy. The chanting rose then ceased on a final note as did the wind, and all the energy as if it had never been. In the sudden quiet they could hear coughing, and someone gasping for breath. Then Buffy sat up, her eyes huge, and staring, frightened as she looked around trying to take in her surroundings. 

"Buffy!" Dawn yelled relieved, and happy, tears streaming from her eyes as she hugged her sister, and Buffy hugged her back. 

Buffy released her and looked at her puzzled. "What? What has happened? Where am I?" Buffy asked her, shaking her head, confused by her lack of clothes, and beginning to realize where she was. 

"Ohh, my god—she's alive," Giles said stunned, staggering in sheer shock of the sight of Buffy sitting on up breathing, and looked unharmed by her ordeal. Next to Giles Xander fainted before anyone could catch him. While Spike backed into the wall before he fell down himself, his eyes huge, and staring at the miracle before his tearful, happy eyes. 

"Buffy, you're back," Willow said with tears in her eyes, holding on to the edge of the cart trying not to faint, but she did anyway, but Spike rushed to her side, and caught her before she hit the hard tiled floor. 

"Bloody hell, Red, you did it," he said in complete astonishment looking down at the young witch, then back to his golden girl, that had wrapped the thin sheet around herself, looking them all over. "She's bloody back. Thank you, Red, thank you," he said giving the witch a quick kiss on the forehead. 

He reached out and touched her bare shoulder feeling solid, warm flesh underneath his hand. She was real, was back. "Is it really you, luv, in there?" he asked, trying to believe. 

"Yeah, I think so," she said turning her hazel eyes on him, just as frightened by this as they all were. I remember saying goodbye to Dawn, then jumping. Then there was searing pain, likes energy blasting me to bits then nothing. How did I get here. How can I be alive? The portal closed didn't it?" Buffy asked worriedly. 

"It's closed. At least I hope it's still closed. You died Buffy. You jumped, and then your body fell down to the ground. Then they brought you here to the morgue," Spike told her, and she took it all in calmly. 

"How long was I dead?" she asked nervously looking down at herself and flexing her legs under the sheets to see if they were working. 

"Six hours or so." 

"Ohh," was all she could say. 

"How do you feel?" he asked, cautiously, looking at her, noticing the scars on her shoulder where Angel had bit her were now gone like she had been given a new body along with a new life. 

"Alive, tired, glad Glory is gone, and the world is still here, especially Dawn. As to anything else…I really don't know yet. All I want to do is get dressed, and get out of here. This cart is like sitting on a ice cube," she told him shivering from the cool air and the cart, hinting that the guys should leave so she get up, and get dressed. 

"Giles, I think the slayer wants us to leave so she can put some clothes on," Spike told the flustered older man as he gave his restored love a smile, drinking in her beauty and her aliveness wishing he had the right to wrap her in his arms, kiss her, and never let her go like he wanted to so badly. And I need to set Red down. She's had a busy day too," Spike said smiling down at Willow, glad that they hadn't been able to stop her after all. 

"Right, sorry, Buffy. Not thinking yet. We'll wait outside while Dawn helps you," Giles said nervously, backing back and taking Spike with him. 

Spike carried Willow outside, and set her on a cart outside. Tara came over, and looked her over worriedly. "I can't believe she did that," Tara fussed, frowning and putting a hand on Willow's forehead. 

"Neither can anyone else, but she did, along with Dawn. It took both of them to do it. I'm sure how, but I am very grateful," Spike told her. 

"But they shouldn't have—don't you understand. It was Buffy's time. They messed everything up," she exclaimed angrily. 

"What Buffy was supposed to stay dead?" he questioned, angrily. 

"No, no, she wasn't, Dawn was, but then Buffy took her place, and so the powers accepted her sacrifice. The balance was restored—now—I don't know, but her being back, and Dawn being here as the Key still is not a good thing. I'm sure of it, especially since Willow used dark magicks to do this," she explained nervously. 

"Tara how do you know all this?" Giles asked, eyeing her suspiciously as did Spike, and Xander who were now awake again. 

"I dunno, I just do. I seem to know more things now since I got my mind back," she explained. "Maybe because Willow used some of Glory's energies to fix me?" she offered. 

"Well, in my opinion it is all good, even if Willow did use dark magicks to accomplish the task. I will have a very long talk with her when she has recovered. Sadly, I have not been paying attention to her as much as I should. I have been just letting do whatever she wants. Although she listens to you on most things, it is clear she is not really controlling her powers, they are controlling her instead to very dangerous levels. She's tasted what true power could be, and she's not going to be satisfied now with lesser magicks. I had similar problems in my youth as did Ethan, so I am aware of how much to extremes this can go before it comes to a possible deadly head," Giles told the now worried young lady. 

"Yeah, I agree that Red is scary as hell now, but if she hadn't been able to use all those combined powers Buffy would still be dead. We can sort out all the ethics to this later. I figure if the Powers That Be didn't want her back then they wouldn't have let her come back no matter what Willow and Dawn did. So that's kind of clear she's still needed as is Dawn in this world. Glory's gone, Buffy's back, the World didn't End, so I'm happy, and I think we all should be," Xander said, looking around at the tired faces of the group. Soon as Buffy's ready, I'll all for getting out of here and going home." He added. 

"What about Willow?" Tara asked looking down at her mate. 

"Well, we can either check her in here or take care of her at home. The choice is up to you," Giles told her. 

Tara looked around nervously. "Home, I think. There's not much they could do for her as mainly all she needs is sleep and rest," she answered. 

"I'll put her in a wheelchair, then we can wheel her to the car," Spike volunteered. "Except where are the two of you staying? Didn't Glory do a bit of remolding on your dorm?" 

"They're staying with Anya and me. And with Anya in the hospital for a while that shouldn't be too much of a problem. After that I'm not sure," Xander answered. 

"What's not a problem?" Buffy asked as she came out of the morgue looking at the people waiting on her and Dawn. 

"Where Willow and Tara are going to be living since Glory destroyed their dorm. Right now they're staying with Anya, and me. Anya's going to here for a couple of days, and will need help when she comes home. But once she and Willow recover it's going to get too crowded real fast," Xander explained, and they all understood. 

"Well, I've got a simple solution—Willow, and Tara move in with me. I've got the room now with Mom gone. It's still close enough to campus to get back and forth easy, and maybe that way I won't feel so alone, same with Dawn. What do you think, dawn?" she asked her sister. 

"Sounds cool to me. We could even take them home with us instead of them having to go over to Xander's," she suggested and seeing that Xander liked that idea too. 

"Okay. Is this all cool with you, Tara?" Buffy asked, looking at the Wiccan. 

"Fine with me, since I didn't know I didn't have a dorm to go back to. Glory destroyed our room?" she asked. 

"Yeah, big time. You were out of it and she was still looking for Dawn, and was following your energy. She tore the outside wall of the dorm down to come after us. Willow held her off while Dawn and I escaped. Then Willow brought you over to Xander's to stay. Then there was the RV trip. Come to think about it you guys having been back there since. Hope your things are still all there," Buffy told her remembering. 

Tara was rather alarmed over that news. "How long ago was this?" she asked. 

"About a week ago," Xander replied. "Giles, can you take Buffy, Dawn, and I guess Willow, and Spike with you, while I go with Tara to check out what's happened to their stuff?" 

"Shouldn't be a problem. Unless you have your own way home, Spike? It is still daylight outside," Giles reminded him. 

"I'll do the tunnels. Sounds like your car is going to be a bit on the crowded side." he replied, and Giles nodded in understanding. 

Spike had been watching Buffy ever since she had come into the hallway. His eyes never leaving her. He didn't know what was going to happening next with any of them. They had survived another apocalypse, just barely. He was trying to not think about how permanent Buffy's death, or any of theirs could have been—this time. He wasn't even going to hope that things might become better between the two of them. That the alliance they had forged since Glory had tortured him would last, and evolve into something deeper. Then there was his failure at the tower to stop Doc, so the demon had still been able to cut Dawn allowing the portal to open after all, and Buffy had had to jump to close it. He would have to live with the image of her broken body in the rubble forever burned into his mind to remind him of the price of failure. If Willow and Dawn hadn't been able to do what they did---- don't go there, he told himself. He would have stuck around for Dawn's sake as he had promised Buffy, but once Dawn was able to be on her own, he would have left either to go wander the earth, or to final death. 

He watched her encircled by her friends, and family, and felt the outsider again. Maybe he should go now? Leave town since the crisis was over. If he stayed here he'd only get his heart stomped on, and nothing would change between them, he knew that now. He better get while the getting was good. They didn't need him. She was safe, and the kid was safe. His job was done. Hell, even the world was safe—he couldn't ask for more. Yeah, it was time to go. 

While they were busily talking, the lonely vampire slunk off, rapidly going down the corridor heading for the basement access tunnels. 

The End For Now of-- Beyond Death's Gifts 5/5 

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